Broad losses send tech stocks south

Research In Motion, Sonic Solutions rare gainers

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) - Technology stocks put in a disappointing session Wednesday as gains from Research In Motion couldn't help a sector that felt broader market concerns about General Motors' profit warning and the price of oil.

Research In Motion
RIMM
soared $11.87, or almost 18 percent, to $78.96 after the maker of the BlackBerry wireless device paid NTP Inc. $450 million to settle a patent-infringement suit. The settlement calls for NTP to give RIM the right to continue its BlackBerry business without interference from NTP. See full story.

Sonic Solutions
SNIC
also put in a strong performance, rising $2.28, or almost 17 percent, to $15.95. Before the market opened, JMP Securities raised its rating to "strong buy" from "market outperform" on the CD- and DVD-burning software company. JMP said the company has opportunities to grow in the PC market, and could add Hewlett-Packard
HPQ, +0.15%
and Gateway Inc.
GTW
as new customers.

H-P rose 8 cents to close at $20.22 after company officials told shareholders that it was "well under way" in their search for a replacement for deposed Chief Executive Carly Fiorina. See full story.

But overall sector sentiment remained muted after General Motors
GM, -0.10%
said it expects to post a first-quarter loss because of a weak North American market. GM's warning led the Dow Jones Industrial Average
DJIA, -0.05%
into the red.

The price of crude oil also weighed on investors' feelings after hitting an all-time high. See full story.

The Nasdaq Composite Index
$COMPQ
followed the Dow, giving up 19 points to fall to 2,014.

Notable decliners included TiVo Inc.
TIVO, -1.06%
which shed 90 cents, or more than 13 percent, to close at $5.80 a day after rising 75 percent due to a new partnership with cable TV giant Comcast Corp.
CMCSKCMCSA, -0.26%

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